The Lake District Corpses
by ECMacNeil
Summary: The TW team travels North to investigate stolen corpses linked to rift activity and come face to face with supernatural beings who aren't aliens at all. Crossover with original characters from THE DESTINY NOCTURNE by E.C.M.


Captain Jack Harkness drove North toward the Lake District like a madman on a mission and in fact, he was. If he went any faster, both Gwen and Ianto would start in about his reckless speeding and they'd be right to do so. His driving skills at best were nothing short of hazardous.

Two weeks ago, there'd been a massive rift event near Cardiff. They had activated a program to collect seemingly unrelated data from the internet and government agencies and look for trends and it had found one, a big one. It determined that at four different locations, unclaimed bodies had gone missing from mortuaries, and then within hours, power spikes were recorded in those same areas. The system mapped the locations. They were in a straight line out of Wales, traveling North up the Western Coast.

Ianto sat up front while Gwen worked at the computer console in the back seat, trying to expand on the results.

"The program ran a check against any possible coinciding events at the time of the rift event," Gwen explained. "Here's one: Doctor Francis Stein. A pathologist. Her home was destroyed by the rift and she's gone missing. But get this, her charge card's been used regularly since. Every time in the vicinity of every one of the corpse thefts."

"What's she buying?" Jack asked

"Petrol, electronics, cabling," Gwen explained.

"She might be doing some experimentation on the corpses, maybe with Alien Tech," Ianto speculated.

Gwen leaned in, inspecting the map. "But where's she doing it?" Gwen asked. "If she's doing experiments, she's got to be doing them somewhere."

"Check for break-ins. Barns, sheds," Jack suggested.

Gwen tapped at the keyboard. "That's it. In every case, there were break-ins to farm buildings," she explained. "They've all seen power spikes but there's been nothing taken. Just things re-arranged."

"But the really big question is unanswered," Jack added.

They looked at him curiously.

"Why?"

*****

They arrived at Carnforth in the late afternoon. The area was Gwens' best guess to get in front of Doctor Stein. They checked into The Green Man Pub on a dark and quiet lane and then drove to the local funeral directors.

They'd found one body as a likely candidate and really the only choice within a hundred miles. The man, a recent immigrant from Yemen, was killed when he rode his bicycle under a lorry two days prior. There was no family to notify and the body was now waiting for the council morgue to collect it.

After they quickly inspected the grounds, they headed back to the pub. As all the thefts happened very late, Jack ordered them to their rooms to get some sleep. It would be a long night.

They convened at the SUV at dusk and drove back to the funeral directors.

"It might be another type of resurrection glove," Gwen speculated as they watched from their SUV parked just up the road. "That would explain why the bodies are gone."

"I hope not," Jack replied.

A movement outside, moving fast in the darkness registered out of the corner of Jack's eye. Ianto and Gwen noticed his look and peered into darkness as well but there was nothing there.

"What are we looking for?" Ianto whispered.

Just then, Gwen spotted something. It looked like a person moving fast around the back of the building. Gwen threw open the door and jumped out.

"Gwen!" Jack tried to stop her but it was too late. Jack heaved a put-out sigh and jumped out. Ianto followed, drawing his gun.

A stiff wind whined through the trees, casting shadows in all directions and making it difficult to pick out any specific sounds. Gwen had her gun drawn, ready for action. Jack grabbed her arm.

"Gwen, careful, we don't know what we're dealing with here," Jack admonished.

"I saw something," she explained.

"We all saw 'something' but that's no reason to run off," Ianto grumbled.

"Let's check it out." Jack drew his Webleys.

They moved quickly to the building. Jack tested the side door as they passed – still locked. Jack motioned for them to move around toward the back.

Jack hazarded a glance around the back corner of the building. There, standing out under the dim light above the garage, a hooded figure in a long coat tested the handle to the back door.

Jack eased around the corner, keeping to the shadows. Gwen and Ianto followed. As they watched, a hunched figure practically glided into view from the darkness and went to stand at the side the hooded figure. It moved fast, faster than any human. Jack froze and the others stopped as well.

The hooded figure turned and looked right at them.

At the same moment, from the other corner of the building, two more people stepped into view. Jack couldn't make them out but they were tall - probably men. Jack's team was outnumbered and he didn't like it.

"Ah oh," Gwen whispered.

The hunched figure turned and charged them while the hooded figure bolted into the woods.

"Hold it!" Jack shouted a warning.

Neither one stopped.

"Consto!" A voice shouted. The creature running at Jack and his team dropped in its tracks, only a few meters from them.

Jack lowered his revolver. Across the yard, the man responsible for the shout walked quickly toward them. Friend or foe? Jack wasn't sure.

Jack eyed the man warily. He was tall, blond, likely English with a few days growth of stubble. Jack presumed he must have some kind of device to manipulate the brain waves of the creature, like a vocal tazer. It was alien tech, no doubt. Jack didn't trust him.

"Who are you?" Jack demanded.

"Nathan." The blond man replied. 'Who are you?"

The man seemed unafraid, his demeanor casual if not friendly. It made Jack uneasy. Nathan reminded him of himself and he didn't like it.

"We'll ask the questions." Gwen warned, covering him with her gun. Next to her, Ianto did the same.

"We don't have a lot of time." Nathan explained.

"How did you stop that thing?" Jack's suspicion was clear. "What do you know about this?"

Gwen held out a scanner, checking Nathan for alien tech but there was no sign of any.

Just then, the other man emerged from the woods. He locked eyes with Nathan and picked up his pace, walking directly at them.

As he closed in, Jack held up his hand to stop him but the man ignored him. It was clear the man was acting in response to a perceived threat against his companion and there was something about the way the man moved that put Jack on high alert. They were being stalked.

"Hold it!" Jack shouted.

The man didn't. "Put down your weapons," he countered.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jack saw Gwen and Ianto drop their guns. They hit the ground with a thud. Jack glanced at Ianto, he seemed to be in some kind of a trance. Both he and Gwen just stood there. Enough was enough.

Jack fired and kept firing. Round after round slammed into the man but he didn't stop coming, if anything, he picked up his pace. Jack braced himself for an attack that never came.

"Joseph, no!" Nathan shouted.

Joseph stopped, inches from Jack. Jack squared his shoulders in response and stared right into the other man's eyes. He wasn't afraid of this man and could see curiosity, more than anger reflected in the dark eyes inches from his own.

Jack immediately wondered if Nathan had power over people by voice but rejected the thought. It was clear that Joseph stopped because he wanted to, not because he had to.

"Who the hell are you? Jack shouted.

Joseph and Nathan didn't answer. Just then, Gwen and Ianto snapped out of their stupor and scrambled for their guns. Ianto fall back to cover the scene and everyone in it. They found themselves in a tense stand-off.

"Where is she?" Nathan asked.

Jack and Joseph both looked at him.

Joseph seemed to toy with the answer and then reluctantly replied. "She got away."

"Are you talking about Dr. Stein?" Jack asked. Nathan nodded.

"How on earth did you let her get away?" Nathan persisted.

Jack could see the muscles in Joseph's jaw jump. This had become some kind of game.

"She jumped in the river." Joseph growled.

At that, Nathan laughed.

Gwen stepped forward, in between all of them. She gave the creature on the ground a poke with her foot, it rolled over. It was one of the missing corpses.

"This is all very well and good but there are many more questions than answers. Starting with; what is this thing?" Gwen asked.

"And just who are you exactly and what did you do to my people?" Jack added. "And how did you walk through all my bullets?"

The creature on the ground twitched.

Suddenly, it was in motion. It slammed Gwen out of the way and headed for the woods. Jack gave chase, Ianto and Gwen following. As he neared the wood-line, hot on the creature's tail, Jack glanced back. Joseph and Nathan were gone.

After a half hour in the woods, Jack, Ianto and Gwen hadn't found a thing. They were cold and frustrated. Jack called off the search.

"I very much doubt she'll come back here," Jack announced as they headed for the SUV.

They rode back to the hotel in silence. They were tired and there were just too many questions. "Get some sleep. We'll re-group midday," Jack said. As they went inside, Jack put his hand on Ianto's back and he leaned into it. It had been a long night.

Up in his room, Jack couldn't sleep. He paced back and forth and then gave up completely. It was just shy of four in the morning and pitch black out. Jack pulled on his coat and went outside.

It was cold and still windy. Jack pulled his wool coat closer around him. No one and nothing stirred. It was strangely peaceful.

Jack suddenly became aware of someone watching him. He stopped.

"I know you're there," Jack peered into the darkness.

Joseph stepped from the shadows and walked over. Jack reached for his Webley but then stopped. He folded his arms across his chest instead.

"Explain yourself," Jack ordered.

"Do your companions know?" Joseph asked.

Jack hated vagaries. "Know what?"

"That you're not exactly human."

Jack chuckled. "Does your companion know that you aren't either?"

Joseph smiled. Jack noted how handsome he was. In another time and place, maybe, but this wasn't it.

"Where is he?" Jack asked.

"Sleeping."

"But not you?"

Joseph shook his head.

"We both have our secrets. We were not properly introduced." Joseph extended his hand, "I'm Joseph Capella."

"Captain Jack Harkness," Jack offered. He shook the man's hand. His handshake was cool but firm.

"Does your companion know?" Jack persisted.

Joseph nodded.

Jack started down the path to the dark garden. Joseph fell in beside him. They walked together like old friends.

"I am actually…" Jack began.

Joseph gave him a curious look.

"Human. I'm human," he clarified.

Joseph nodded his understanding.

"But you. I shot you," Jack went on, fishing for the answer. He didn't get one.

Jack could see the bullet holes in the man's clothing and the pale skin untouched underneath. Jack almost reached out to touch him and check for himself but didn't, suddenly reminded of how he hated being fussed over in exactly the same situation. Still, Jack was one of a kind, there were no others like him – or so he thought.

Jack stopped. "Where are you from? Kanojipa Major or Twiltheripan? How did you get here? Where's your ship?"

Joseph looked a little confused. "I'm from Italy, originally. I was raised in Venice."

Jack eyed him warily. "What are you?" Jack had his suspicions. He knew not all unusual supernatural activity was a result of the Rift but he never expected he'd come face to face with it. "And am I supposed to believe that your friend used some kind of magic earlier?"

Joseph smiled at him. "I suggest you believe whatever makes you the least uncomfortable."

"That leaves Doctor Stein," Jack went on.

Joseph didn't answer right away. It was if he was cautious about letting on everything that he knew. "Doctor Stein died when her house exploded in Wales. Some power re-animated her and she's been using whatever it is to re-animate others."

"But nothing like your or your companions capabilities," Jack hedged.

"No."

Jack nodded. "I think it was some kind of device."

"From Kanojipa or Twil-wherever," Joseph speculated.

Jack nodded.

Joseph seemed relieved. "I had hoped as much. It defied all other explanation."

"She's making more like her?" Jack wondered.

"I believe she's trying to find a way to reverse what happened to her. To be alive. She makes them like her, then tries to reverse it" Joseph answered.

It made sense to Jack.

"But why do you care? What is it to you?" Jack pressed.

Joseph studied the ground for a moment. "You can't stop them by shooting them. Use a sword. Hack them down. Take their heads. Then burn the bodies."

Jack nodded, taking it in.

"You can't save them, they're already dead," Joseph added very matter-of-factly.

"I can't blame her for wanting to be alive," Jack added.

Joseph shook his head in disagreement. "There's no going back," Joseph offered. "Burn her body to ash. It's kinder than allowing her to be the decomposing thing she is now – she won't die, she'll just rot."

That hit home. Jack's was a similar future, just stretched out over a much longer time.

"You can't save her either," Joseph added as he turned and walked into the shadows.

"Can I save you?" Jack called after him.

Joseph paused, just a slight hitch in his step, and then kept going.

Jack heard a faint voice as the man disappeared into the darkness.

"No."


End file.
